I just love making things with lavender! The blissful aroma envelopes you as

you happily work at your project.

My lavender is just coming into bloom ~ the perfect time to harvest and use

in your crafting projects. I have two kinds of lavender ~ Royal Velvet which

is a dark purple flower and somewhat more compact plant. I have just recently

planted it along a new walkway that Gentleman Farmer made for me last summer.

It is not yet big enough to really harvest. But next year!

My other one is Grosso ~ a good all around plant that can be used for many crafts because it has very long stems, and is very high in aromatic oils.

I am just starting to harvest my lavender this year and thought you might enjoy

a little tutorial on making a Lavender Wand.

Let's begin!

~

1. Start by gathering your supplies.

You will need:

Feshly picked lavender stems (18 for this project, I am using two stems to act as one because I like the look better than a single stem, but any odd number or multiple of an odd number will work.) Morning is the best time to pick lavender, after the dew has left but before the sun evaporates much of the aromatic oils.

Letting them sit for awhile to wilt just a bit also helps with bending the stems without breaking.

You will also need approximately 2 yards of pretty 1/4 inch ribbon.(If you want to make the loop, take an additional 12 inch piece of ribbon folded in half and make a knot about three inches down. Tuck ribbon, loop hanging down with the stems, and tie loose ends around base of flowers along with other ribbon in next step.)

2. Gather your flowers into a bundle making sure all the flowers are even across the bottom. Tie your ribbon tightly around the base of the flowers leaving one strand of ribbon about 12 inches long.

3. Turn the bundle upside down and grasp the flowers in one hand and with the other hand, gently bend the stems down over the ribbon all around the bunch of flowers creating a kind of cage. (The shorter end of the ribbon should be buried in the center of the flowers.)

4. Begin weaving the longest ribbon over and under the stems, two at a time. Keep the ribbon tight and snug up against the preceeding row as you go. (The lavender will shrink some as it dries.)It is awkward at first try, but it will get easier as you continue down the stems.

5. Continue weaving down the cage until you reach the bottom of the flowers. Pull out the short end of ribbon and wrap it and the weaving end around the outside of the stems in opposite directions, crossing in the back and tying in a knot at the front.Cut the stems evenly at the length you desire.You may end here by simply tying a bowor.....

6. ...create a little embellishment to add to the bow. This is pretty if you plan to display the wand on a table, but if you plan to use it in a drawer or closet, leave it off because it will get knocked off anyway!

These make wonderful gifts for just about anyone for any occasion!

A couple of years ago, my youngest daughter and I made 75 of these for a friend of hers to

give at her wedding as favors. They were done in her colors of course.

She lived across the U.S. and when we went to mail them,

the ladies at the post office didn't need to be told what was in the box; a cloud ofperfume preceeded us!

Thank you so much for sharing the instructions. I only have one small Lavender plant right now, but hope to have more one day. I never knew how to make the wands. They are just beautiful! Thanks again for the tutorial :)

Your lavender wand looks lovely. I love the color of purple in the ribbon. Thank you for taking the time to share this craft. I planted lavender recently; let's see when I get flowers, and I'll try your craft.